‘Godfather of Harlem’: Vincent D’Onofrio on the Future of Chin & Bumpy’s Alliance (VIDEO)
“Maybe it’s crazy you and I thought this thing between us would work out,” Italian mobster Chin Gigante (Vincent D’Onofrio) said to Harlem crime boss Bumpy Johnson (Forest Whitaker) of their unlikely partnership in the heroin trade in last week’s May 16 installment of Godfather of Harlem.
By the end of that episode of the EPIX crime drama — which is set during the 1960s Civil Rights era and inspired by true events — it seemed like truer words were never spoken; a kidnapping exchange between their camps went awry, leaving multiple dead bodies.
We talked to D’Onofrio ahead of the midseason finale, airing Sunday, May 23 (the second half of Season 2 returns August 8) about playing Chin and why he and Bumpy have lasted this long as partners in crime. As for the future of this duo, D’Onofrio told us, “The more they try to expand, the more dangerous it gets.”
One of those dangers comes from the FBI, which has been closing in on both men. Each has his own way of fighting for freedom. Fans of D’Onofrio are in for a treat: the actor dives into the strategy the real-life Gigante used to evade prosecution – something that may be even crazier than the partnership between these two criminals.
Godfather of Harlem, Midseason Finale, Sunday, May 23, 9/8c, Epix
